G. Bruce Boyer's Ten Menswear Commandments

Though few are privy to the provenance of that
enigmatic first initial, many in the #menswear world hazard a guess
that the G stands for God. That’s how respected — nay, revered —
G. Bruce Boyer is within sartorial
circles.

The fashion editor at Town &
Country, GQ and Esquire magazines in the
1970s and ’80s, in 1985 Bruce published what remains a canonical
work (the bible, really) insofar as men’s style instruction goes:
ELEGANCE, A Guide to Quality in Menswear. Upon its
release, the Washington Post review proclaimed, “(Boyer)
is a small-d democrat who believes that anyone can wear clothes
well, and he is much less interested in setting forth rigid rules
than in providing a large amount of information to help the reader
make knowledgeable choices.”

We’re delighted that the writer (one of the most articulate
yours
truly has ever had the pleasure of editing —
not that his work ever actually requires the red pen to be
uncapped) has deigned to do much the same
here. An incisive summation of a
lifetime’s men’s style expertise, deserving of inscription in stone
for posterity, these are Bruce Almighty’s 10 Menswear
Commandments.

1) The Chinese proverb says buy the best
and you only cry once. Quality clothes are durable and always in
style. Buy the best you can afford and maintain it. Don’t let your
wife or girlfriend throw your clothes away. Real luxury is the
comprehension of quality.

2)
You may have noticed that athletic
clothes actually have the ironic result of making many people
appear less athletic than they would in almost any other sort of
dress.

3)
There are two kinds of crazy
people: those who think they’re Napoleon, and those who think they
can buy a good suit cheap. Every purchase should be a long-term
commitment.

4)
Anyone who has the money can buy
fashion any time. Style you have to learn and earn. It develops and
refines itself. You won’t find it in the shop window, or simply by
knowing the trendy labels.

5) There’s a relatively new
phenomenon – you can check this on all of those “stylish” blog
sites – of men dressing as though it were a blood sport, a
competition rather than a celebration. They wear their clothes as
though they were weapons, and thus almost never look comfortable in
what they’ve got on.

6) People talk about how clothes
should fit, but fit is a nonsensical concept. Good tailors
are not after fit, but effect. And effect means proportion. The
idea is to help your figure, not to reproduce it.

7) Never look dressed up, always
look as though you just threw it on … even if it takes some time
and effort. As a keen anthropologist of the posh, I can tell you
that the best dressers look like they live in their
clothes.

8) There is no such thing as one
size fits all.

9)As a brothel keeper once told me, there are no
tricks, there are only enthusiasms.

10) Some people think clothes
aren’t important, while others think they’re everything. In my
writing and in my wardrobe I’ve tried to walk that fine line
between those two extremes. A good suit is not a cure for cancer or
global warming, but it is important to present yourself with
confidence. It may be superficial, but we must leave the deeper
aspects of our souls to priests, psychiatrists, and late night
reflections.